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SWISS REVIEW
The magazine for the Swiss Abroad
January 2020
Corippo: Light and shadow in the
smallest Swiss Alpine municipality
The Swiss Holocaust victims:
Swiss citizens in Hitler’s death camps
Switzerland wants to tailor its development
aid more closely to its own interests
The publisher of “Swiss Review” is the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA).
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Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
Contents Editorial 3
The shadows of war
4 Mailbag The guns may have fallen silent, but the war is by no
means over. Pain and shock linger and cast their
6 Focus shadow across subsequent generations. Neutral Swit-
Swiss citizens zerland is discovering this now as the public is – at
in Hitler’s death camps last – developing a clearer image of the Swiss Holo-
caust victims. For hundreds of these victims the Swiss
10 Report passport offered no protection. They were locked up
Corippo: when an entire in Dachau, Auschwitz and other horrific places. Some
Alpine village becomes a hotel survived. Many did not. This may be history, but it is by no means the past
as these victims still constitute an empty space in the official historiography
13 Society of Switzerland to this day. Until now, they were primarily viewed as difficult
Sign language “compensation cases”.
is seeking recognition However, thanks to a remarkable new book (page 6), the question now
being asked is why the Swiss victims found themselves in such a situation in
16 Politics/Elections 2019 the first place. They are without a doubt first and foremost victims, because
The Council of States too is greener, the horrors of the Nazi regime knew no limits. However, looking back, a night-
contains more women and is younger mare picture of the behaviour of Switzerland and its diplomats also comes
to light. Admittedly there were Swiss diplomats who fought bravely for their
News from your region countrymen and women and for humanity. However, it is unsettling to hear
about those cases where the victims were basically abandoned. The behav-
17 Politics iour of the diplomatic team in Berlin in the latter years of the war, for instance,
Switzerland plans to modify
was one of sycophantic, silent restraint. Except in certain cases, they gener-
its development aid
ally did not advocate for Swiss concentration camp prisoners, as they were
The great dilemma: what should be fearful of angering the Reich.
done with Swiss jihadis? This distinction between Swiss citizens who were deemed worthy of pro-
tection and those who were not is one of the dark shadows of war that Swit-
22 Literature series zerland must address. Swiss citizens who were considered unworthy of pro-
Gertrud Wilker’s view of the USA tection and thus second-class sometimes included Jews, gypsies,
homosexuals, “asocial persons”, socialists and even those with dual citizen-
23 OSA news ship. During and after the war, they were accused in not so many words of
Studying in Switzerland being partly responsible for their own fate. What that means is that the Swiss
Camps for children and adolescents ultimately followed the same criteria used by the Nazis to judge human be-
ings.
26 news.admin.ch If we are to properly address this period in history, we need to be brave
enough to ask a crucial question: are we any different today than we were
28 Images then? More specifically: do Swiss Jews encounter less hostility today than
they did in the past? Are the Sinti people with roots in Switzerland, who re-
30 Books/Sounds ceived no protection back then and were labelled gypsies, accepted today?
Do we now look at people with dual citizenship without suspicion?
31 Top pick/News
These are not questions for historiography but rather for the present.
MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“Swiss Review”, the information magazine
Cover photo: Autumn in the Alpine village of Corippo, in Ticino. for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the
Photo: Keystone Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA).
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
4 Mailbag
Locked up in Switzerland Elections 2019:
simply for being poor and undesirable Switzerland has been hit by a green wave
We Swiss know terms like “administra- I can understand why some of my friends who reside in Ger-
tive detention” only too well. However, many are (rightly in my opinion) rather jealous of Switzerland’s
people who were not affected have no political system. Let’s see what the “new” policy achieves. I’m
idea what it was like. The report of the really optimistic that women and young people will bring
Independent Expert Commission has something different to the political arena than a whole lot of
finally brought to light the full extent men who have been holding onto their jobs for a long time.
of this inhuman practice, and it sends shivers down my spine On the proportion of women in politics: how wonderful! It’s
when I read the findings. And the fact that the legislation was hard to believe that Switzerland, once Europe’s “taillight” in the
not amended until 1981, under pressure from other countries area of women’s suffrage, is now virtually a front runner. Keep
(incompatibility with the European Convention on Human it up, Helvetia! ANDREA FRÖHLICH, BENNINGEN BEI STUTTGART, GERMANY
Rights), shows that there was still little awareness of any actual
wrongdoing, even in the 1980s. Therefore, many brave people I am pleased about the new trend in voting and above all about
had to step forward to end this unjust system, and now – dec- the strengthening of the green bloc.
ades later – again, to make sure the deeds of the past are not Let’s hope that electronic voting will be adopted. I feel that
forgotten. I am in awe of these people. thinking and acting from a global perspective, without neglect-
OSKAR SCHMID, OTTOBRUNN, GERMANY ing the “national” side of things, could make for a more efficient
and coherent Swiss foreign policy in the face of new challenges.
Thank you for exposing my country’s shameful past. In retro- MIGUEL MÁRQUEZ DÍAZ, OSORNO, CHILE
spect, I feel disgusted, but grateful for the courage it has taken
to reflect on this not so glorious period of our history. Despite I received the material to vote too late: about three weeks after
it all, I remain attached to the country that made me! the deadline. I hope that we will soon be using the electronic
L AURENT BÜRKI, GUIDEL, FRANCE vote. We are in the 21st century. Congratulations to the women
and the young people who represent the best of your Swiss peo-
Surprised and totally shocked to find this out now. Couldn’t ple. CHRISTIANE JOHNSON, REDDING, CALIFORNIA
stop reading your report. And this was going on under my nose
for 25 years while living in Switzerland. Never spoken about, Why does the author not touch on the low voter participation
non-existent conversation at the table. Who knew? Repulsive of only 45.1 per cent? There were more non-voters than voters:
and shameful. ISABEL FUCHS, CONNECTICUT, USA that puts the results in context. Besides giving the impression
of lack of interest, political impotence or complacency, it could
Reading this article sent shivers down my spine. I would like be said to cast doubt on the credibility of many politicians and
to congratulate your magazine for publishing it. I was so proud parties. That’s a pity and is also dangerous as you should not sur-
to have been granted citizenship, but the idyllic view I had of render democracy to totalitarian movements of any political
Switzerland is now somewhat tarnished. hue, just because they tend to seek attention more loudly than
ISABELLE LESCURE-BELL AN, LISBONNE, PORTUGAL others. Good policy ultimately requires consensus as well and
not the ability to be confrontational. It is less spectacular but
There is still reason to be proud of a country which is prepared much more effective for the common good. ERIC WEBER, THAIL AND
to face the dishonourable moments of its past and to accept
them. DAVID GANI, LONDON, GB
Switzerland in cardboard
When I read the date 1981, I was shocked to the core. I thought In its last edition, the “Swiss Review” also explored
that this episode had come to an end after the Second World the 100-year-old history of Swiss modelling. We
War and did not continue for so long. Those responsible thought
would like to thank the numerous readers who took
part in our draw for 20 models. The winners have
they were doing the right thing for these “detainees” and the
been notified; the models are already on their way to
families that they separated. But this is not an excuse. you by post – and we wish you a lot of fun with build-
ERNST RÜTIMANN, TRANG, THAIL AND ing “Switzerland in cardboard”.
MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,
AND SANDRA KREBS, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
5
“SWISS REVIEW” – THE APP IS
The first star park in Switzerland JUST THREE CLICKS AWAY!
It is entirely true: we humans also need
darkness at night for sleep to be truly
restorative. Being able to look up at a SWISS RE VIEW
starry sky is a RIGHT that human be- The magazine for
the Swiss Abroa
January 2020 d
ings should demand, just like listening
to the birds sing and the frogs croak. It
forms part of our natural emotions: those of childhood which
have been replaced by the emotion created through cinema or
television. Whilst nature, the great provider of magical scenes,
no longer attracts attention.
Corippo: Light and
shadow in the
SANTIAGO DE GERMAN RIBON, BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA smallest Swiss Alpi
The Swiss Holocaust
ne municipality
Swiss citizens in victims:
Hitler’s death camp
s
Switzerland wants
to tailor its devel
aid more closely opment
to its own interests
Thank you for being brave and a good role model. I hope this The publisher of
“Swiss Review”
is the Organisat
ion of the Swiss
Abroad (OSA).
encourages many people throughout Switzerland and the rest
of the world to follow suit.
KATHARINA PREIS-JOST, HAUSEN OB VERENA, GERMANY
Get “Swiss Review” free as an app! It’s really easy:
Bank fees eat up any interest 1. Open the store on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Enter the search term “Swiss Review”. SWISS
REVIEW
Things have got slightly worse for us all. The 3. Tap on install – all done!
bank fees for Swiss Abroad have increased
sharply. For example, the cantonal bank that we
looked at charges 120 Swiss francs per customer Consular services
base on top of the account fees – and only be- anywhere, conveniently
on your mobile devices
cause we live in Germany. That equates to 360
Swiss francs per year – for actually doing noth-
ing. GIACOMO A MARCA, GERMANY
www.fdfa.admin.ch Bangkok (2019)
Negative interest rates are a real problem. At the moment here
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worth more than the same amount in the bank. People will
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threatens us with a jail term and heavy fines for holding cash
at home. Also cash transactions of over 10,000 Australian dol- © Laureta Mancino Hajra
lars carry heavy fines and potential jail. I wonder how the banks
gained so much power over us. Negative interest only works for International Health & Travel Insurance
a handful of people. I don’t think it’s good. and Superior Service for Travelers,
DANNY ZEMP, AUSTRALIA Expatriates and Mobile Employees.
T: +41 43 399 89 89
E: info@asn.ch
W: www.asn.ch
YOUR SWITZERLAND ABROAD.
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LIVING ABROAD, TRAVELERS AND RETURNEES.
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Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
6 Focus
Gino Pezzani’s prisoner number in the Sachsenhausen
concentration camp. “Sch.” stands for Swiss, the red trian-
gle for political prisoners. The Nazis deported Pezzani from
occupied France in 1944. He barely managed to survive.
Swiss citizens in Hitler’s death camps
At least 391 Swiss citizens, many of whom were Swiss Abroad, were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.
This is the finding of a historical textbook in which three journalists shed light on the fate of Swiss internees in
the concentration camps for the first time.
SUSANNE WENGER France. Before this, Berne had hesi- lengths to free him. According to the
Young mother Marcelle Giudici-Foks tated to act for a long time, despite the records, he was “particularly worthy
was transported by rail to Auschwitz Head of the Swiss Consulate in Paris, of our attention”.
on 10 February 1944. The Gestapo in René Naville, warning several times On one occasion, a prisoner ex-
occupied France packed her and over that Swiss citizens were under threat. change was tabled, but Switzerland
a thousand other Jews into cattle cars. However, repatriation came too late refused to cooperate. It did not want
Marcelle, a fun-loving dance teacher for Marcelle Giudici, and she died in to swap innocent Swiss citizens for le-
from Royan on the Atlantic coast, was Auschwitz. gally convicted German criminals.
married to the Swiss Abroad Jean These noble constitutional principles
Guidici, which gave her Swiss citizen- “Worthy of our attention” extended Pilloud’s ordeal. At the be-
ship. Jean’s parents had fled a life of ginning of 1945, he was seconded to
abject poverty in Ticino and were try- The Swiss Abroad René Pilloud was the camp crematorium and made to
ing their luck as waffle bakers in also interned in a concentration camp. burn hundreds of corpses every day.
France. He was born in Fribourg and emi- The Red Cross was only able to get him
When life became dangerous for grated to French Bellegarde, near the home to Switzerland just before the
Die Schweizer the Jews in France from 1942 onwards Swiss border, with his parents. His fa- war ended. He was emaciated, trau-
KZ-Häftlinge. with the onset of mass deportation, ther worked in a factory; René com- matised and had tuberculosis. Swit-
Vergessene Opfer
Marcelle and Jean considered leaving pleted an apprenticeship as a tool zerland paid him 35,000 francs in
des Dritten Reichs
(Swiss concentration the country for the safety of Switzer- maker. In February 1944, while on the compensation as a Nazi victim. He
camp prisoners. land. However, due to Marcelle’s ad- way to a sports competition, the died in Geneva in 1985.
Forgotten victims of vanced pregnancy, they made a 17-year-old was unwittingly caught up
the Third Reich)
Balz Spörri, René Staubli,
last-minute decision not to join the in a Wehrmacht operation against the Putting faces to the numbers
rescue train convoy deployed by the French resistance. He was mistreated
Benno Tuchschmid
NZZ Libro; 320 pages, Swiss authorities. At the end of Janu- and taken to the Mauthausen concen- René Pilloud and Marcelle Giudici:
147 images. CHF 48.– ary 1943, the Confederation finally tration camp via a circuitous route. two names; two horrific stories. They
Only available in German. brought home the Swiss Jews living in The Swiss authorities went to great are outlined in detail in the book writ-
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
7
ten by the journalists Balz Spörri, one can do by uttering trite platitudes.
René Staubli and Benno Tuchschmid. They are also posing the tough ques-
Other fates were also reconstructed. tion of the role of Switzerland’s offi-
For four long years, the authors con- cials. Their conclusion: “Switzerland
ducted painstaking, in-depth re- could have saved dozens of lives if it
search in archives and databanks, and had acted more courageously and put
spoke with descendants of the victims. more pressure on the German author-
As a result, they now have the first ities.”
proven list of victims containing the It is “always easier” to make such
details of 391 women and men with an assessment decades later, says
Swiss citizenship who suffered in Nazi co-author Balz Spörri in a conversa-
concentration camps; 201 of them died tion with the “Swiss Review”. If you
there. The book also contains infor- want to judge the strategies of the The fun-loving Swiss dance teacher Marcelle Giudici-Foks on a beach in
mation on 328 inmates who were born time objectively, you need to con- Royan on the French Atlantic coast. In 1944, the new mother was deported
in Switzerland but never held citizen- sider the knowledge and leeway pos- to Auschwitz and murdered for being Jewish.
ship: 255 of them did not survive the sessed by those involved throughout
concentration camps. All the victims the various phases. The book out-
were arrested in Germany or in occu- lines in depth how politicians and
pied areas and then deported. This oc- the media in Switzerland reacted to
curred most often in France, where the development of the concentra-
the majority of Swiss Abroad were liv- tion camps by the Nazi regime. Al-
ing. though there was evidence, the con-
Some of the Swiss concentration centration camps were not truly
camp victims were Jewish, but resist- perceived as death camps in this
ance fighters and marginalised groups country for a long time.
were also persecuted. The authors list
all 391 in the book as a “memorial”, Second-class citizens
from Frieda Abegg to Maurice Zum-
bach. Where possible, they give the In 1942, the Head of the Swiss Aliens’
victims a face with photos. “They were Police, Heinrich Rothmund, deliv-
numbers in the concentration camps; ered an innocuous report on his visit
they are compensation cases in the to the Sachsenhausen concentration
Swiss Federal Archive,” write the au- camp. The Federal Council was eager The Zurich hairdresser Nelly Hug was arrested by the Gestapo together
with her lover in Berlin in 1942. She survived the tortures of the Ravensbrück
thors, “this book restores their dignity to believe his story. The authors found
concentration camp – the photo shows her in ironed prison clothing.
as human beings”. no evidence “that the Federal Coun-
cil as a whole addressed the topic of
Spineless authorities concentration camps or Swiss con-
centration camp prisoners before
It is quite remarkable that it has taken 1944”. It was fearless diplomats such
75 years for there to be public aware- as the Swiss ambassador to Berlin,
ness in Switzerland of the fact that Paul Dinichert, who managed to gain
Swiss citizens were interned in the the release of several incarcerated
concentration camps. Although survi- Swiss. However, after Germany occu-
vors such as René Pilloud spoke openly pied France, Berne called for re-
of their experiences after the war and straint. Dinichert’s successor, Hans
parliament approved compensation, Frölicher, spent his time doing noth-
the Swiss public showed little interest. ing. If Switzerland provoked Hitler,
These biographies are missing in sem- he feared that Hitler would order his
inal academic works. By writing about armies to march into the neutral
the fates of these people, the journal- country. But Frölicher was viewed in Mina Epstein, born and raised in Zurich, murdered in Auschwitz, with her
ists are not just expressing sorrow at Switzerland as an opportunist and a husband in Antwerp, Belgium. She sought refuge as a Jew in Switzerland,
what occurred, something that any- Nazi sympathiser. but the border guards turned her away as she did not have Swiss citizenship.
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
8 Focus
There was another reason why the The 391 concentration camp victims
Swiss authorities refrained from do- detailed in the book have now all died.
ing everything they could to protect Their horrific experiences stayed with
at-risk Swiss citizens abroad. Some – survivors like Albert Mülli their whole
criminals, social misfits, disabled lives. The Zurich plumber and social
people – were actually unwanted be- democrat was arrested by the Gestapo
cause it would have put a strain on in Vienna in 1938 and later transferred
the state purse to house them. Others to the Dachau concentration camp as
belonged to groups that were ostra- a political prisoner. He was accused of
cised in Switzerland: communists, having communist ties. Mülli sur-
gypsies, homosexuals, social outsid- vived six years there. He returned to
Anne-Françoise Perret-Gentil-dit-Maillard, a book binder from Neuchâtel, ers. “There is considerable evidence Switzerland, started a new life and be-
joined the Resistance in Paris. She was deported to a concentration camp, in the records to support this,” says came a member of the cantonal parlia-
but managed to escape. Switzerland refused to compensate her for her Spörri. Thus, the Chief of the Division ment. Before his death in 1997, the past
suffering as a Nazi victim.
of Foreign Affairs in Berne, Pierre caught up with him. In the nursing
Bonna, informed the diplomats in home where he lived with dementia,
Berlin that “the embassy is not per- he was tormented by nightmares. Day
mitted to put itself on the line if by and night, he relived the horrors of the
doing so it disadvantages all other concentration camp. Mülli’s daughter
Swiss that are worth protecting for told the book authors that it was very
the benefit of elements who have con- painful to watch him suffer this way.
tributed to the difficulties they now
find themselves in through their own Keeping memories alive
fault or un-Swiss, challenging behav-
iour”. The book is just the start, says Spörri;
extensive research into Swiss victims
“That sort of woman” of the Nazi terror is required. Moral
The Zurich social democrat Albert Mülli, pictured here in 1995, fell into reparation is also needed; recognition
the clutches of the Gestapo in Vienna in 1938. He survived several years in This stance sealed the fate of Anna that these victims existed, that they
the Dachau concentration camp. Back in Switzerland, he was spied upon Böhringer-Bürgi from Basel. The au- were harmed and had suffered injus-
by the intelligence services. thorities labelled her behaviour “dis- tice. Many of them fought against the
solute” early on; she also encountered Nazi regime and paid with their lives.
problems with the law. By marrying “We think it’s time that a member of
a German, the mother of seven lost the Federal Council says something
her Swiss citizenship. Shortly after on the topic,” Spörri says. The author
war broke out, she sought refuge in welcomes the commitment of the Or-
Switzerland at the age of 54 and ap- ganisation of the Swiss Abroad to
plied to regain her citizenship. She erecting a memorial (see Page 9). To
was turned down. She was deemed to date, the Federal Council has said
be “a notorious harlot and law- nothing definite on the topic of me-
breaker”; care would be taken to en- morials.
sure that “that sort of woman does A memorial could be combined
not regain cantonal citizenship” with digital forms of remembrance to
noted a civil servant. Böhringer had reach the younger generations too,
to leave the country. In 1945, she died suggests Spörri. Such as a website con-
in the Ravensbrück concentration taining the life stories of the victims;
camp. Later, Switzerland rejected her i.e. a virtual memorial. One thing is
daughter’s application for compensa- clear: there will soon be no more con-
Claude Richard Loever was arrested in France in 1944 for his involvement in
the Resistance. The occupation authorities initially deported the 18-year-old to tion. They justified their decision by temporary witnesses to the Holocaust.
the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp. He died in 1945 in the bombardment saying that her mother did not have This makes it all the more important
of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Swiss citizenship at the time of her to store their accounts in a collective
All photos: Laurent Favre, Dorénaz Archives. From: “Die Schweizer KZ-Häftlinge”, 2019, © NZZ Libro arrest. memory.
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
9
“We need more than just a commemorative plaque”
The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) is calling for a memorial to the Swiss victims of
National Socialism. The memorial should also commemorate courageous Swiss citizens who offered
protection and help to the persecuted, says OSA President Remo Gysin.
INTERVIEW: SUSANNE WENGER to the Swiss concentration camp prisoners. member of the International Holo-
What is the aim of such a memorial? caust Remembrance Alliance, Swit-
For the first time, a book presents verifiable The memory of these victims should zerland has committed to preserving
victim numbers. It shows that the number of be preserved and strengthened. We the memory of the victims of the Hol-
Swiss who died in the Nazi concentration should use this glimpse into the past ocaust, so I believe the federal gov-
camps is much higher than the OSA assumed. as a lesson for the future, and to raise ernment will support and finance the
Are you surprised? awareness of the dangers that racism, project, possibly with the support of
Remo Gysin: No, I’m not surprised antisemitism and discrimination the cantons and the local municipal-
that we now know of more than twice hold. I have in mind a memorial that ity.
as many murdered Swiss victims. encourages self-reflection, thought
Everything is still very much in the and discussion. Are further steps required to reappraise
dark. Further research will prove that this period of history?
there was an even higher number of Where should the memorial be placed and Besides the memorial, the current de-
victims. what form should it take? velopments in society and politics
It must be a public, easily visible and show us that there is a need for further
accessible place that is worthy of a me- intensive research and teaching, a
morial expressing Switzerland’s ac- comprehensive information concept
“It should also be used to raise knowledgement of its historical re- and educational offers at different
awareness of the dangers posed by racism, sponsibility. I think Berne is the school levels.
antisemitism and discrimination.” obvious choice. It could take various
forms, and these options should be ex-
amined closely as the process contin-
ues. A steering group consisting of the
The book reveals that the Swiss authorities OSA, ETH Zurich’s Archives of Con-
could have done more to save the victims. temporary history, Jewish organisa-
Did the federal government abandon Swiss tions and an expert in memorials is al-
Abroad? ready at work. Contrary to my original
There is no doubt that the Swiss au- opinion, it needs to be more than just
thorities could have saved more lives. a simple commemorative plaque.
The Bergier report on Switzerland’s
role in the Second World War spelled What message should it convey?
this out clearly. The new book provides It should commemorate all the vic-
further evidence. For example, I would tims, and in particular the Swiss vic-
have liked the Federal Council of the tims of National Socialism and the
time and the Swiss ambassador to Ber- Holocaust. I also think it would be ap-
lin to have had a different attitude. I am propriate to remember Swiss citizens
thinking here of the bravery of Carl who fought against National Socialism Remo Gysin: Remo Gysin has presided over
Lutz, who saved ten thousand perse- or offered protection and help to the the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad since 2015.
cuted Hungarian Jews when he was a persecuted.
Before that, the doctor of economics led the Social
Democratic party in the Swiss parliament for
Swiss diplomat in Hungary.
twelve years. He was a regional councillor in Canton
Who should finance the memorial? Basel-Stadt for eight years.
In 2018, the Council of the Swiss Abroad At present, there has been no defini-
supported the idea of setting up a memorial tive decision on the matter. As a
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1
10 Report
A village is to become a hotel
With just eleven inhabitants, the village of Corippo in Ticino is tiny – the smallest municipality in Switzerland.
However, not for long: in just a few months, the hamlet will be merged with the municipality of Valle Verzasca. However,
one major question remains: what economic prospects does a tiny Alpine village with an elderly population have?
GERHARD LOB Corippo has not had a working local government for many
The street leads steeply upwards, passing by the 220-me- years. The 55-year-old Claudio Scettrini, a forestry worker
tre-high Verzasca Dam, which became world famous and the youngest inhabitant in the tiny place, was the last
when James Bond jumped off it in the movie “GoldenEye”. president of the municipality. Together with his aunt and
And then it runs alongside the dam until you finally catch his sister-in-law, he made up the municipal council. “How-
sight of Corippo. The small village is perched on the right ever, we always had to run everything past the canton, and
side of the valley like a bird’s nest; the stone houses and in the end, nothing ever happened,” said Scettrini, when he
slate-covered roofs seem to merge into one with the ter- resigned in frustration in 2017. Since then, the municipal-
raced slopes and surroundings. The church tower is in the ity has been managed externally.
Swiss centre of the village. The first thing visitors see on enter-
e tremes ing the village is a small cemetery. However, the All Saints’
Day candles have burnt down, and the flowers have
wilted.
Higher, further, It should be rather romantic, but with rain and a light
faster, more beauti- snowfall, the little village appears sad and unwelcoming on
ful? In search of the
this wintry afternoon. There is a sign reading “Chiuso –
somewhat different
Swiss records. geschlossen seit 30 Oktober” (Closed since 30 October), in
Today: The smallest front of the only Osteria (restaurant) in the village, which
Swiss community is a popular stop-off for hikers in summer. According to the
Federal Statistical Office, the municipality only has eleven
inhabitants with an average age of 70 plus. This makes it
the smallest municipality in Switzerland, although not for
much longer: in April, Corippo will become a district of the
joint municipality of Verzasca.
Nowadays, many houses in Corippo are empty or only
used as holiday residences in summer. During its heyday
in 1850, almost 300 people lived there. Since then, things
have gone downhill. Corippo has suffered the same fate as
all of Valle Verzasca and other Alpine regions in northern
Ticino. Poverty combined with a lack of work and income
led to an exodus. The roman à clef on Ticino history, “Il
fondo del sacco” by Plinio Martini (in English: “No begin-
ning, no end”) about emigrants from Valle Maggia, could
easily have taken place in Valle Verzasca.
The superlative of being the smallest municipality in
Switzerland still applies to Corippo for now. However, the
locals do not seem to think a great deal of this. And they
want to speak about it even less. Questions from outsiders
on the state of the smallest municipality are answered
grumpily or simply ignored. “Everyone has migrated down
the valley,” murmurs a senior citizen, who quickly closes
the garden door behind him.
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 111
In the eyes of Ticino state councillor Norman Gobbi, the tween the year 2000 and spring 2017. Some cantons such
inability of the smallest municipalities to guarantee a as Glarus have made a clean sweep: 25 local communities
working administration is proof that there is no way past were reduced to three municipalities in 2011. There is a
a targeted merger policy. A municipality the size of downside to this development, though. Sceptics are wor-
Corippo is no longer able to autonomously provide impor- ried that people’s connection with their own municipali-
tant services that are expected by its citizens nowadays. ties of residence will be further weakened by the formation
Water supply and canalisation cost millions. “Like many of these large associations.
other municipalities, Corippo had to face up to this real- Back to Corippo: in the old parsonage at the church,
ity,” says Gobbi. one of the locals speaks plainly: “People no longer want
The merger of municipalities has been expedited for to speak with journalists as they have twisted our
decades for this very reason. In 25 years, the number of mu- Tiny and extremely words.” It is a fact that, in the last few years, numerous
nicipalities in Ticino has fallen from 245 to 115. “Under the picturesque – at media professionals have visited the village in the
cantonal merger plan, we are seeking to reduce this num- least from a distance. valley of Verzasca after it got out that a hotel village would
ber to 27 municipalities over the long term,” says Gobbi. The
The Alpine village be built there. Reports have even appeared in the New
of Corippo in Valle
same process is happening across the country. Nationwide, Verzasca, Ticino. York Times. A television team from the BBC also roamed
the number of municipalities fell from 2,899 to 2,255 be- Photo: Keystone through the place.
But what is actually in the pipe-
line? Some of the old stone houses,
known as Rustici, are to be converted
into hotel rooms. The Osteria is to be-
come a reception area where guests
can also eat their meals. “Albergo dif-
fuso” or “scattered hotel” is a concept
that has already been implemented in
several old settlements in Italy.
Corippo would be a pioneer in Swit-
zerland.
Fabio Giacomazzi is an architect,
urbanist and president of the Corippo
Foundation, which is driving the ho-
tel project and bought a dozen old
stone houses years ago for this pur-
Reproduced with the consent of swisstopo
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 112 Report
pose. The goal is to retain the “magical atmosphere” of the
place but also to breathe new life into the hamlet at the
same time. Giacomazzi has already shown numerous peo-
ple around the village and abandoned buildings, in which
time seems to have stood still. Sometimes there are even
old shoes on the wooden floors or odds and ends in the cor-
ner. Cobwebs adorn the windows. However, a holiday
apartment has already been set up in one of the founda-
tion’s houses, and the mill has also been refurbished. The
renovation of the other houses will finally start in early
2020. The mood in the village is somewhat sceptical.
“They’ve been making promises for years,” says one of the
locals.
Giacomazzi can understand their scepticism, but points
out that the conversion work can only go ahead when all
the money has been collected. The total budget is 3.6 mil-
lion Swiss francs. “And at present, we still need just short
of 600,000 Swiss francs,” says the architect. He seems con- The migration has
left its mark. fident that they will soon get the money together, ideally
Abandoned items
through private donations.
everywhere are
gathering dust. Claire Amstutz supports the project. She is the publican
Photo: LOB at the Osteria in Corippo. However, she rarely comes in win-
ter. We run into her rather coincidentally while she is pre-
paring a Sunday meal for her regulars: a Bernese plate – with
dried beans, boiled potatoes, sauerkraut, bacon and sausage.
Amstutz, who originally hails from the German-speaking
part of Switzerland, is still unsure what the future holds;
she is waiting for the new contract for the 2020 season.
It is interesting to note that there is already a certificate
hanging in the Osteria bearing the words “Hotel Innova-
Fabio Giacomazzi tion Award”, which was conferred by the Swiss Society Ho-
wants to retain tel Credit and Gastrosuisse for the “Albergo diffuso” pro-
Corippo’s “magical
ject in 2017. This prize has also brought many calls from
atmosphere” –
so he has bought up people wanting to book a room. “Only it hasn’t been possi-
houses. Photo: LOB ble to date,” laughs Amstutz.
Thomas Egger describes the Corippo project as “exem-
plary”. The Valais CVP national councillor is president of
the Swiss Working Group for the Alpine Areas (SAB). “A de-
centralised hotel is a wonderful starting point to improve
the use of the existing structures,” he adds. And he refers
to analogous initiatives in Grengiols (VS) under the name
“Poort a Poort”, as well as in Albinen (VS) under the name
“Albijou”.
Egger is strongly opposed to abandoning municipali-
ties or parts of the Alpine area. And he also has the Fed-
eral Council on his side. The Swiss government approved
a report in mid-November detailing how the existence of
the Alpine areas is to be safeguarded and migration
Publican Claire curbed. Expansion of digital infrastructure, i.e. with
Amstutz is delighted
broadband and high broadband, is deemed essential.
that the village is
to become a “scat-
tered hotel”. Photo: LOB GERHARD LOB IS A JOURNALIST IN LOCARNO (TI)
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1Society 13
Once forbidden, sign language is on its way to
becoming a recognised national language
There are more than one million hearing-impaired people living in Switzerland, many of whom cannot
participate in society without a sign language interpreter. For this reason, the Federal Council is thinking
of raising the legal status of sign language.
MIREILLE GUGGENBÜHLER Schökle is deaf. The 50-year-old is the Sign language is not She and all other deaf employees
Brigitte Schökle is sitting in the meet- managing director of the Interest just an aid, says have a budget of 1,778 Swiss francs a
Brigitte Schökle. “It’s
ing room of the 120-year-old Walker- Group for the Deaf and Hearing-Im- month for interpreting services in
an independent lan-
haus, a striking brick building located paired (IGGH), which is active in the guage”; a language the workplace. The Swiss Disability
in the centre of Bern. Tanja Joseph has canton of Berne, in German-speaking with its own grammar Insurance Act guarantees them this
taken up her place opposite her. She is Fribourg and in the Upper Valais re- and syntax. assistance. However, it still does not
Photo: Danielle Liniger
facing the light so that Schökle has a gion. Schökle requires the assistance amount to much: “It’s enough for
perfect view of her face. Joseph is a of an interpreter whenever she con- around ten hours of translation, but
sign language interpreter – and she is ducts a meeting with hearing men and we need more than that,” says
there to translate. Why? Because women. Schökle.
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 114 Society
This example illustrates the major
problem faced by hearing-impaired
people: impeded access to communi-
cation. This problem is evident not
only in the workplace but also every-
where deaf or hearing-impaired peo-
ple encounter hearing people during
everyday life. For example, in the
healthcare and school sectors, in
public offices and also in the cultural
area.
“Nowadays, we live in a society
that is strongly impacted by the me- Two … … friends … … in a sports plane …
dia and communication. Although
the internet has revolutionised a
great many things, there are many ar-
eas with no videos in sign language
or videos with subtitles in the three
national languages,” says the IGGH (see additional texts) in Switzerland. A line of a song by School for the Deaf and Mute in St.
managing director. This political awakening has “been a the Bernese dialect Gallen: “For me, the change in school
troubadour Mani
source of great happiness” to the deaf was a complete culture shock,” she
Matter (1936–1972)
Sign language should become an community, says Schökle. “S’sy zwee Fründen im says.
Legal recognition of sign lan- ne Sportflugzüg en At that time, sign language was
official national language Alpeflug ga mache”
guage could result in measures to forbidden at school. Pupils had to keep
(“two friends in a
We may well see improvements in the prevent discrimination against the their clasped hands behind their back
sports plane go on a
method of communication, and trans- hearing-impaired. The legal basis flight in the Alps”), so that they were unable to communi-
lation aids will become more preva- against discrimination towards hear- translated by the cate with each other in signs. Deaf ed-
lent in Switzerland over the next few ing-impaired people is already “rock- interpreter Tanja ucation experts were convinced that
Joseph.
years. The Federal Council has re- solid and precise”, maintains the the deaf had to learn spoken language
Photos: Danielle Liniger
ceived three parliamentary proce- Swiss Federation for the Deaf (SGB). to do well in life. This meant they
dural requests urging it to legally rec- However, it is not applied often should express themselves verbally
ognise the prevalent sign languages enough. According to the SGB, deaf like hearing people, and not with their
adults are three times more likely to hands.
be unemployed than hearing adults, This assumption was influenced
for example. by a conference of deaf education ex-
Around 10,000 people in Switzer- perts from all over the world, the Mi-
Dialectal diversity land have been deaf or severely hear- lan Congress, in 1880. The reso
Switzerland is one of the last countries in ing-impaired since birth. This corre- lutions of this congress had
Europe still to legally recognise sign lan- sponds to around 0.2 per cent of the wide-ranging consequences for the
guage. However, Geneva and Zurich mention population. And a further one million social life of the deaf – including in
sign language in their cantonal constitu- Swiss people live with a hearing im- Switzerland and up to the present
tions. Efforts towards cantonal recognition pairment. day. “We suffered immensely during
are also being made in Vaud, Berne and the era of ‘spoken language educa-
Ticino. Sign language and the deaf culture Hands behind your back! tion theory’,” says the managing di-
are also mentioned in the Basel Gender rector of the IGGH.
Sign language used to be forbidden
Equality Act. Despite the ban on using sign lan-
The Swiss German, French and Italian sign Brigitte Schökle has been deaf since guage at the former School for the Deaf
languages are used in Switzerland. There are the age of six – after contracting men- and Mute, the pupils communicated
also five regional sign language dialects in ingitis. “There have been a lot of pos- in sign language during lunchtime
German-speaking Switzerland (ZH, BE, BS, itive changes since then,” she says; and out in the playground during their
LU, SG). from one day to the next, she had to breaks. “They were the only places
switch to attending the former where educators did not interfere. In
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 115
… go on a flight in the Alps …
this way, I gradually learnt sign lan- childhood education that I am hop-
Politics is on the move
guage from my school friends,” says ing for changes; if sign language be-
Schökle. comes legally recognised in Switzer- The deaf community in Switzerland has the support of three national coun-
land,” says Schökle. cillors – Christian Lohr (CVP), Regular Rytz (Greens) and Mathias Reynard
Early support is paramount (SP) – who are pushing for legal recognition of the three Swiss sign lan-
Translate concerts – for everyone guages at the political level. The National Council has already approved
In contrast to former times, deaf and interventions on this issue by the three politicians. Besides legal recogni-
severely hearing-impaired children During Schökle’s childhood and ado- tion, Lohr, Rytz and Reynard are demanding concrete action in line with the
nowadays no longer have to attend a lescence, the signs seemed to be large UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the aim of
special-needs school, but rather and take up a lot of space; nowadays, achieving “the complete, inclusive and barrier-free participation of deaf
can also be integrated into a main- they are much more subtle and so- and hearing-impaired people” in society.
stream school. Some hearing-im- phisticated. Very few hearing people
paired children (and adults) wear ei- are aware that sign language not only
ther a hearing aid or even a cochlear consists of hand movements and facial
implant (an implant which is placed in expressions but also has its own gram- was fully on the interpreter or deaf
the auditory canal). This enables the mar and syntax. “It is not just an aid artists. “This is because sign language
wearer to at least partially understand but rather an independent language allows the subject matter to be con-
language. However, the aids cannot in itself,” notes Schökle. In the last few veyed to the public in an extremely
replace normal hearing. decades, the language has grown visual, vibrant and emotional man-
Today’s hearing aids and school “more extensive and richer” and has ner.”
attendance do not provide sufficient continuously developed. “The simple fact that sign language
support for hearing-impaired chil- Even to the extent that is now pos- is now accepted in the cultural field is
dren, says Schökle, who has three sible to translate entire concerts into great. Needless to say, we’d actually
children that can all hear: “Early sup- sign language. Brigitte Schökle has like to take part on an equal basis and
port is paramount. Hearing-im- contributed widely in this area. She is independently in all facets of society,”
paired children should be able to convinced that bridges can be built says Schökle. For this reason as well,
learn sign language from the time with the translation of cultural events the legal recognition of sign language
they are small and grow up ‘bilin- – bridges between hearing and hear- by the Federal Council is a “step in the
gual’.” She says that if you have this ing-impaired people. right direction”.
opportunity, you will have a better At cultural events she discovered
chance of receiving a good education that the listening public is very inter-
because the school material can also ested in seeing sign language inter-
be imparted with the assistance of preters and the deaf poetry slammers MIREILLE GUGGENBÜHLER
interpreters. “It is here in the field of go about their work; their attention IS A FREEL ANCE JOURNALIST AND LIVES IN THUN
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 116 Politics
The “Fifth Switzerland” helped to drive the green trend
Post-election analysis clearly shows that the “Fifth Switzerland” voted strongly in favour of the Greens in the 2019
National Council elections. On the other hand, they had little say in the Council of States’ elections.
MARC LETTAU quarter of the votes from abroad went There is an obvious explanation for
Unprecedented gains by the green to the Greens. the strong support given to the green
parties, more women, more left-lean- This means that the green vote of parties by voters living abroad. Cli-
ing and slightly younger: this was the “Fifth Switzerland” was far mate change is by far the most inter-
how the “Review” summed up the greater than that of domestic voters. national topic and from the perspec-
National Council elections held on Voting behaviour could not be fully tive of the “Fifth Switzerland”, it is
20 October 2019. Since then run-off analysed because the votes cast by easier to relate to than the domestic
votes have taken place to complete Swiss Abroad are not noted separately Swiss dispute on pension reforms or
the composition of the smaller cham- by all the cantons. However, the fig- similar.
ber, the Council of States. Here we see ures from the densely populated can- French-speaking Switzerland
a similar result: it is not more tons present a clear picture. For exam- voted greener than ever before this
left-leaning but instead far greener, ple, in Zurich, the most densely year: in Geneva and Neuchâtel, the
contains more women, and is younger. populated canton by far, voters from Greens and the Green Liberals more
Female politicians including the two the “Fifth Switzerland” amplified the than doubled their voter percentage.
31-year-olds Lisa Mazzone (GE, green trend considerably. The Greens The Greens achieved the same in the
Greens) and Johanna Gapany (FR, and the Green Liberals (GLP) received canton of Jura and – to a lesser extent
FDP) as well as 35-year-old Céline a joint percentage share of votes from – in Valais as well. The Greens also
Vara (NE, Greens) have brought down abroad of almost 38 per cent. At the gained considerable ground in Vaud.
the average age. same time, the two large pole parties, However, in the western Swiss can-
The deciding ballots of the Coun- SVP and SP, were relegated to posi- tons, the voting behaviour of the Swiss
cil of States were a rather unsatisfac- tions two and three (the strongest Abroad generally deviated less mark-
tory affair for the “Fifth Switzerland”. party in terms of voting share is high- edly from that of the domestic Swiss.
The lack of e-voting was particularly lighted each time): Geneva serves as an example of this
noticeable because the documents for trend:
the run-offs were sent out at ex- Overall results Voting behaviour
tremely short notice. Many Swiss Party Canton Zurich Fifth Switzerland Overall results Voting behaviour
SVP 26.7 % 18.3 % Party Canton Geneva Fifth Switzerland
Abroad were unable to take part as a
FDP 13.7 % 13.1 % SVP 13.7 % 14.6 %
result. The voters of the “Fifth Switzer- CVP 4.4 % 3.6 % FDP 17.9 % 17.1 %
land” had more influence on the Na- BDP 1.6 % 1.3 % CVP 7.7 % 6.8 %
tional Council voting: they strength- GLP 14.0 % 15.4 % BDP 0.4 % 0.4 %
ened the political turnaround. A Greens 14.1 % 22.4 % GLP 5.4 % 4.9 %
SP 17.3 % 17.9 % Greens 24.6 % 20.4 %
Others 8.2 % 8.0 % SP 14.7 % 12.2 %
The distribution of seats in the Council of States
Ensemble à gauche /PdA 7.4 % 8.0 %
14 Others 8.2 % 15.6 %
13 The pattern repeats itself in a number
12 12 12
of cantons in German-speaking Swit-
9 zerland. The Swiss Abroad’s support of At the time of going to press, it was not
the Greens was above-average, also in clear what the outcome would be of
7
6 cantons that predominantly voted the bolstered Greens’ demand for a
5
conservatively, such as the canton of seat in the national government. We
Aargau. Overall, the Greens improved will provide the results of the Federal
1 1 their share of the vote in Aargau to Council elections on 11 December in
0
9.8 %. On the other hand, the percent- the next “Review”.
CVP FDP SP SVP Greens BDP
age of green votes from abroad was
Left columns 2015; right columns 2019
21.7 %. Data research collaboration: Stefanie Mathys-Zerfass
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 1Politics 17
Now Switzerland’s
aid is helping the
poorest countries
adjust to climate
change. Depicted in
the photo: a rain
water reservoir in
the Wag-Hemra
region in Ethiopia.
Photo: Patrick Rohr, Helvetas
Swiss development cooperation
requires a larger dose of “Swissness”
Switzerland wants to tailor its international aid more closely to its own political and economic interests
in the next few years. However, aid agencies fear that this will lead to cuts being made to public funds set
aside for fighting poverty.
THEODORA PETER in September 2015, and has an economic, social and eco-
Switzerland has been providing development aid for al- logical dimension, including measures on climate protec-
most 60 years now. What began with the construction of tion.
hanging bridges in Nepal has developed over decades into
a comprehensive policy that aims to improve the living Developing countries are future markets
conditions of people in developing nations. Since then,
millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America have In Switzerland, the Federal Council lays down the strategy
benefited from education and health programmes. Swit- for international cooperation every four years. It now wants
zerland has also made its mark as a neutral state that pro- to set a new course for 2021–2024. When it comes to select-
motes peace and the rule of law. To this day, the primary ing the countries and programmes, in addition to reducing
goal of worldwide development cooperation is to fight poverty, the new strategy should take greater account of
poverty. For the first time, this cooperation has been the interests of the Swiss economy as well as Swiss inter-
linked with the goal of sustainable development in the ests related to migration and security. When approached
2030 Agenda, which was adopted by the United Nations for a comment by the “Swiss Review”, Foreign Minister Ig-
Swiss Review / January 2020 / No. 118 Politics
nazio Cassis (FDP) said that “Switzerland’s open and
strongly globalised economy makes it reliant on a stable in-
ternational order”. The Confederation has an interest in
strengthening the constitutional principles in developing
countries, on the one hand for the people living there, “but
also because these countries are potential future markets”.
Switzerland also has an interest in “tackling the underly-
ing causes of irregular migration and flight”, Cassis said.
However, in the case of migration politics, the Federal
Council will refrain from making development aid depend-
ent on a country’s cooperation – for example in readmitting
rejected asylum seekers – as the SVP continues to demand.
Aid agencies as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) have expressed mis-
givings about this linkage. In spring 2019, the OECD Devel-
opment Assistance Committee warned that Swiss
development aid should concentrate more on the needs of
its partner countries and less on combating irregular mi-
gration.
Withdrawal from Latin America
On the other hand, the OECD considers it a step in the
right direction that Switzerland wants to place geograph-
ical boundaries on its commitment. The Federal Council
intends to concentrate on providing bilateral aid to the Hanging bridge in strength, expert knowledge, sales channels and investment
poorest regions of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and east- Nepal: such images options”, he said. From the perspective of Alliance Sud, the
are a reminder of
ern Europe, and to reduce the present number of 46 pri- private sector contributes to sustainable development
where Swiss devel-
ority countries to 34 in the future. The withdrawal from opment aid began. when it creates “decent” jobs, and respects human rights
Latin America is justified with the argument that these Back then and today, and the environment in developing countries rather than
countries – with the exception of Haiti – are no longer hanging bridges using them for tax evasion.
make life easier –
among the poorest in the world. Aid agencies are less The Federal Council is expected to decide on its defin-
such as here in the
convinced, however. There is massive social inequality Dhading district – itive message on international cooperation for the period
and conflict in Latin American countries too, such as in attending school, 2021–2024 in February 2020. Last summer, around 250 or-
Bolivia, stresses Mark Herkenrath, Managing Director of exchanges, trade, ganisations, parties and associations took part in the first-
development.
Alliance Sud, the thinktank of the six largest Swiss aid ever consultation process carried out on the strategic key
Photo: Narendra Shrestha,
agencies (Swissaid, Fastenopfer, Brot für alle, Helvetas, Helvetas issues. There has been widespread criticism as many be-
Caritas, Heks). Through its efforts, Switzerland is making lieve the goals are extremely vague.
a major contribution to strengthening civil society and
protecting human rights in Latin America. “A withdrawal 80 centimes per day/inhabitant
is only acceptable if the freed-up resources flow back into
combating poverty rather than into building partnerships Both the strategy and the framework credit for the next
with the private sector,” says Herkenrath. From experi- four years will be presented to parliament. A total amount
ence, there has been limited success in mobilising private of 11.37 billion Swiss francs is envisaged for international
resources in fragile states. cooperation, which corresponds to around 80 centimes per
day/inhabitant. The planned total sum is slightly higher
Controversial role of the private sector than the 11.11 billion Swiss francs that is available for the
current 2017–2020 period.
However, Federal Councillor Cassis wants to strengthen Switzerland will no longer spend money on develop-
the role of the private sector. It is “essential that it is in- ment aid on the basis of gross national income (GNI). The
cluded in development cooperation due to its innovatory spending is likely to make up around 0.45 per cent of the
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